Machine for folding paper bags



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIS A. HOLLINGSWORTII, OF SOUTH BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR FOLDING PAPER BAGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 45,999, dated January 24, 1865.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, ELLIS A. HoLLINGs WORTH, of South Braintree, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful or Improved Machine for Foldingthe Bottom of Paper Bags; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which-f Figure l is a front elevation, Fig. 2 a side view, and Fig 3 a vertical and transverse section, of it. f

The object of the machine is to facilitate the infolding of the bottom corners of a common square-bottom paper bag.

The frame of the machine consists of two vertical posts, a a, erected on a foot or platform, b, and at a distance apart sufcient to receive between them a bar, c, whose lower end is jointed to a treadle, d, which turns on a fulerum, e, projecting from one of the posts. On the top ofthe bar c is a cross-piece,f, which, at its middle is fastened to the bar, and so as to be at right angles with it. To the said cross-piece f two leaves or iiaps, g g, are hinged, and so that each leaf may be turned either into a vertical or a horizontal position. Furthermore, to the outer. edge of each of these leaves the upper ends of two opening bars, h h, are hinged,the lower ends ofthe said bars being hinged to the two posts a a, the whole being arranged as shown in the drawings. Guide plates i li extend across the bar c on each of its two opposite sides, and are fastened to the posts, such plates serving to guide the bar 'or keep it in its proper relation to the posts during its vertical movements. Besides the tlaps or leaves, there are two stretchers or stretcher-bars, 7c k, they being arranged with respectto the flaps in manner as shown in the drawings. Each of the stretchers is hinged at its foot to the outer edge of one of the posts a a, and is connected -to the bar c by means of two connecting-bars,

a consequence the two leaves or flaps by the conjoint action of the bars 7L h and the up# ward movement of the cross-piece f, will open 4 apart from vertical to horizontal positions, the stretchers in the meantime being drawn toward one another.

In operating with the machine the leaves are first to be closed together, or to stand in vertical positions. Next, the bag should be inverted and placed mouth downward over the machine, and so that the latter shall pass up into the bag while the bag is in the act-of being drawn downward, which should next be done. Next, withthe hands the bottom ot' the bag is to be spread iiat on the leaves. Next, the treadle should be depressed so as to throw open or apart the two leaves or cause them to assume horizontal positions. In so doing the leaves will press out the bottom part of' the bag and cause the corners to rise up or stand in the triangular forms as shown in Fig. 4. These corners are next to be bent inward toward each other, and down upon that part of the bag which may rest on lthc leaves, after which the cross-piece j' should be depressed, so as to close the leaves together, and thereby bend along their middles the bottom, and the parts turned down, the stretchers in the meantime being forced asunder, so as to throw out the bag at its edges, and cause it when folded to have the appearance as shown in side view in Fig. 5.

Fig. 6 denotes a view of the bottom of the bag, with its corners x .fr turned down on the part y, and preparatory to the closing of the aps or leaves. rIhe stretchers, while being :torced apart, stretch out the bag at the parts z z.

I do not claim a machine as made with the two movable iiaps or leaves g g-that is such a machine as is represented in the United States numbered 43,773.

Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of the stretchers It' k, or their mechanical equivalents, with the leaves or naps g g, the whole being so as to operate together substantially in manner and for the purpose or objects described.

2. In combination with the two leaves g g and their elevating mechanism, as described, the openingbars h h, applied to the leaves and the posts, substantially as and so to operate as set forth.

ELLIS A. HOLLINGSWORTH.

Witnesses B. H. EDDY, FREDERIGK CURTIS. 

